U.S. Attorney Will Monitor Election Complaints in Kansas

U.S. Attorney’s Office
October 30, 2012

District of Kansas(316) 269-6481

KANSAS CITY, KS—Federal prosecutors will be on duty during election day to respond promptly to complaints of possible election fraud and voting rights violations in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Jared Maag, Criminal Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Leon Patton, Assistant U.S. Attorney, will be available to the public at 785-295-2850 while the polls are open on November 6.

Grissom said he does not expect any problems during the voting but warned that there are criminal penalties under federal law for any efforts to fraudulently influence the outcome of the election or to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote.

Maag and Patton will join prosecutors in other districts as part of the Justice Department’s nationwide election day program. They will be responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.

The FBI also will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression, and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 816-512-8200.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767 or by e-mail to voting.section@usdoj.gov. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, please contact the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section at 202-514-3204.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office also will be monitoring election complaints. Any questions involving state or local issues may be referred to the state’s Elections Division at 785-296-4561 or, if appropriate, to the county election office, said Brad Bryant, election director for the Secretary of State’s Office.